At our GDTA Spotlight session on May 23rd, 2023, we welcomed Guido Caicedo, Executive Director of i3lab, Dr. Sharon Guamán-Quintanilla, Academic Coordinator, and Isabel Alcívar, Lecturer and Design Thinking Facilitator. They discussed about “Turning freshmen into DThinkers.”
In this spotlight, the experience of ESPOL University (Ecuador) in implementing a mandatory design thinking course for all freshmen students were presented. The session included the story behind the decision to create this course as part of the curriculum, challenges faced, lessons learned, how it is currently taught, and the results of its application on students’ skills (problem-solving, creativity, and teamwork).
Guido Caicedo is a professor of engineering and entrepreneurship at ESPOL. He has an M.Sc. in Computer Science and a Postgraduate Certificate in Technology Commercialization from the University of Texas at Austin and ESPOL. His extensive experience and knowledge have allowed him to lead teams of technology companies that have developed services on online platforms. As an entrepreneur, he co-founded two Internet security companies and was a product manager for another company that marketed the first secure online credit card platform and the first electronic magazine distribution platform in Latin America. He has spent around 18 years helping other entrepreneurs develop and boost their businesses. His mantra is Create Value Now.
Sharon Guamán has a PhD in Business Economics and Educational Sciences, a degree obtained from the University of Ghent (Belgium). The subject of her doctoral thesis and her research products have been focused on the specialized analysis of the Design Thinking methodology on the development of 21st century skills among university students. She works as academic coordinator at i3lab-ESPOL and has been a university professor for more than 6 years in the areas of projects, innovation, and entrepreneurship. She has also been a facilitator of workshops in the areas mentioned above for private and public, national, and international institutions.
Isabel Alcívar is dedicated to improve work systems. She is a professor for the Industrial Engineering program & i3lab at ESPOL. She teaches courses on Design Thinking, Ergonomics and Process Optimization. Her professional and research interests lie at the intersection of Industrial Engineering and Design Thinking: particularly, how design thinking contributes to design better engineering solutions for manufacturing & service processes, and to develop essential skills. She also works with student clubs to promote creative acts in undergraduate students. She holds a MS in Management Science & Engineering from Stanford University (USA) and BS in Industrial Engineering from ESPOL (Ecuador).
At our GDTA Spotlight session on November 12th, Maria Stashenko, Director, Design Thinking Center Moscow, talked about “Innovation Pace in Times of Pandemic: Research Insights”.
The Global Design Thinking Alliance, in collaboration with the IEEE Standards Association and Vienna University of Economics and Business, invited you to the GDTA Spotlight Special Edition “Value-Based Engineering in Design Thinking,” which took place on March 10th, 2022, from 9:00-11:30 am (EST) / 3:00-5:30 pm (CET) via Zoom.
Join us for a free session of the GDTA Spotlight on Tuesday, June 18th at 9.00 am SAST / 7.00am GMT for “Connecting the African Design Thinking Community: An Emergent Learning Network” with Jenni van Niekerk!
On September 12th, 2023 we welcomed our speakers Jessica Menold, Associate Professor in the School of Engineering Design and Innovation and the Department of Mechanical Engineering, and also Dr. Matt Parkinson, Professor of Engineering Design and Mechanical Engineering at Penn State University.
In our session held via zoom on Mai 12th, 2022 at 3:00 pm (CEST) / 09:00 am (EDT), we welcomed our speaker Mugendi K. M’Rithaa, Professor of Industrial Design at Machakos University. Mugendi talked about “Empathy and Community: Human-Centered Design in Afrika”
On Tuesday, May 21st we held a free interactive 60-minute session with Maria Stashenko & her team form Design Thinking Center Asia. After a brief introduction everyone played a round of their game live online:
The GDTA Spotlight session on March 23rd, 2023 was about “Art thinking and design thinking in University College Cork: An innovation ‘marriage’ made in heaven.”
The D-School Potsdam is stepping into a new chapter! With a fresh brand identity and an updated teaching structure, they continue to push the boundaries of Design Thinking education. At the GDTA Spotlight: “Crafting Tomorrow”, Monika Frech, co-head of the academic program team shared
Transform with Design presents examples of creative organizations across industries and geographies, and recounts the stories of how they adapted design thinking to build their innovation capabilities. Written by leading industry experts and design-thinking scholars, the book features ten anecdotal experiences by professionals who detail the implementation of design thinking as it unfolded for them. Contributors share how they navigated the many barriers and obstacles they encountered along the way and describe their experience from early beginnings to the present, revealing valuable lessons for anyone who finds themselves in a similar situation.
At our GDTA Spotlight session on December 14th, Prof. Dr. André Bresges, Executive Director of the Institute for Physics Didactics at the University of Cologne talked about “Teach to Start Up”.
At the GDTA PowWow on April 30th, 2021 Claudio Dell’Era, Associate Professor in Design Strategy and Director of the Observatory “Design Thinking for Business” of the School of Management at Politecnico di Milano talked about “Transformations in Design Thinking: from Creative Ideating to Critical Reframing“.
The last online session took place on November 21st, 2023, at 3:00 p.m. (CET). We welcomed our speaker, Can Güvenir, Design Manager and lecturer at Yaşar University.
On April 30th, 2024 Prof. Jeanne Liedtka from University of Virginia shared the insight from her most recent book, The Experimentation Field Book: A Step-by-Step Project Guide, co-authored with Natalie Foley, David Kester and Elziabeth Chen, published in February, 2024.
Remember the experiments and challenges you faced while starting a new project? Before 2019, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu didn’t dream a small idea would turn into so many new research projects, competitions to encourage students to innovate and the first D-School in Romania.
In a discussion with GDTA President Uli Weinberg, Richard Perez, Founding Director of the Hasso Plattner School of Design Thinking (d-school) at the University of Cape Town, and Faculty Members Luke Doman and Mark Jackson talked about how they adapted their programs during Covid-19, using technology that is accessible for all students, and shared their vision for the future of the d-school at UCT.
In a discussion with GDTA President Uli Weinberg, Ricardo Ruffo and Reinaldo Campos from Echos Innovation Lab in Brazil shared how they are creating online Design Thinking learning experiences between Australia and Brazil.